Date: Wed, 18 May 1994 09:17:41 -0400 (EDT) From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" AIDS Daily Summary May 18, 1994 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "Uniroyal Chemicals May Fight AIDS Virus" Journal of Commerce (05/18/94) P. 6B Federal researchers at the National Cancer Institute have discovered that a family of chemicals developed and patented by Uniroyal Chemical Co. of Ontario, Canada, may hold some promise for fighting HIV. The compounds, called Thiocarboxylate ester, were developed for agricultural purposes, but failed in that area. Instead, the NCI--which routinely screens chemicals from pharmaceutical firms--found that the compounds exhibit some activity against HIV. "Head of BEBASHI Quits as AIDS Group Tries to Repay Debt" Philadelphia Inquirer (05/18/94) P. B2; Kaufman, Marc Rashidah Hassan, founder of BEBASHI (Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues), has resigned as executive officer of the trailblazing AIDS education organization. Her resignation was tendered shortly after attorneys filed a plan of reorganization for the agency in bankruptcy court. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy was filed last spring, after the agency accumulated more than $1.2 million in debt. Hassan, 43, started BEBASHI in her North Philadelphia kitchen in 1986 after noticing the rapid spread of AIDS in the minority community. The organization bloomed quickly, thanks to more than $5 million in federal and city government grants and, in 1989, moved from free offices to a Center City building with a $8,600 monthly rent. That move, combined with unpredictable AIDS funding, caused BEBASHI to fall behind in its finances, according to Hassan. Michael Reed, a bankruptcy lawyer working with the group, says the plan of reorganization could be approved within three months. Under that plan, more than $100,000 in outstanding federal and state taxes would be paid in full over time, and unsecured creditors would be paid 5.68 cents for every dollar owed. Reed says that to pay creditors immediately, BEBASHI would need $50,000 to $100,000 in cash--a sum board president Lorina Marshall hopes to generate through fund-raising events. Hassan will remain a board member and chair of the programs committee, as well as retain her positions on the boards of the Philadelphia AIDS Consortium and the Minority AIDS Consortium. "R.I. Adopts Needle Exchange" United Press International (05/17/94) On Tuesday, Rhode Island joined the list of more than 20 cities and states that have needle exchange programs designed to curb the spread of AIDS. The bill, signed by Gov. Bruce Sundlun, allows state health authorities to implement a pilot program in which they distribute clean syringes to intravenous-drug users to prevent them from transmitting HIV around through shared, dirty needles. The needle exchange will also provide counseling to addicts, and help them access treatment. Needle-infected addicts now represent more than 40 percent of all new HIV cases in Rhode Island--one of the highest rates in the country, according to Rhode Island Project AIDS, a private group that lobbied for the bill. Ironically, the state also has one of the nation's toughest needle control laws, which makes it a felony to even have a needle and syringe in one's possession without a license. Only addicts participating in the pilot program will be exempt from this law under the new legislation. The program is to be paid for entirely through federal and private funds. "AIDS Victim's Will Challenged in Texas" United Press International (05/17/94) The family of Randy Brown, a Dallas man who died of AIDS at age 34, has challenged his will because it bequeaths part of his $146,000 to an AIDS group. Brown, who died on Jan. 30, requested that proceeds from the sale of his home and some of his belongings go to the Foundation for Understanding in Dallas. Robert and Joan Brown, the deceased's parents, claim their son did not have the mental capacity to draw up the will and that undue influence was placed on him in his final days. Their objections center on Marilyn Gordon, executor and a beneficiary of Brown's will, who cared for Brown in his final months. They are not, however, opposed to their son's bequest to the AIDS foundation, where he sat on the board of directors. "I think part of Randy's vision was to try and make a difference in the fight against AIDS," says foundation director John Thomas. What the dispute actually means is that the group, regardless of the court outcome, will receive only a fraction of what Brown willed to it because of the cost of the legal challenge. A jury is scheduled to hear the case in August. "Wherehouse to Donate to AIDS Causes" United Press International (05/17/94) Wherehouse Entertainment, one of the largest retailers in the western United States, announced that its stores will donate $1 to AIDS charities from each rental of the film "And The Band Played On," which is to be released on video today. The movie, featuring Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Phil Collins, Lily Tomlin, Richard Gere, Steve Martin, and Angelica Houston, is a dramatization of the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Because of the social relevance, Wherehouse decided to donate profits from the video to AIDS research, education, and patient care. "The Wherehouse is committed to building the awareness of this tragic disease, and it is our hope and intention that as many people as possible have the opportunity to watch this dramatic movie," said Scott Young, the company's president and chief executive officer. "Virus Similar to AIDS Implicated in Diseases" Reuters (05/16/94); Mikkelsen, Randall New research on HTLV-II, a little-understood cousin of HIV, suggests that the former is linked to higher death rates than HIV among those exposed to it. According to rough estimates, about 250,000 to more than 500,000 Americans may be infected with HTLV-II, and the virus is spreading rapidly among intravenous- drug users in the developing world. Scientists also said that although it is much less easily transmitted than HIV through donated blood, it may often escape the most common screening test used by blood banks to detect it. Like HIV, HTLV-II belongs to a family of viruses known as retroviruses. Unlike HIV, however, HTLV-II is thought to have been present among humans for tens of thousands of years. It is found among the indigenous people of the Americas and central Africa. A decade-long study of 567 drug users conducted in New Jersey found a three-fold increase in the death rate among the 67 patients who died of respiratory ailments. Other studies have found links between HTLV-II and nervous systems disorders, according to scientists. Dr. Stanley Weiss, author of the New Jersey study, also found that many patients who were infected with HTLV-II had also been exposed to HIV, but not infected by it--which suggests that their bodies might have been able to fend off the virus. These findings could be significant in the search for an AIDS vaccine, said Dr. William Blattner, chief of viral epidemiology at the National Cancer Institute. "Judge Says Student Can't Wear Condoms to School" Reuters (05/16/94) U.S. District Judge Terry Hatter ruled on Monday that a public school district has the authority to prohibit an eighth grader from adorning her clothing with packaged condoms as an approach to promoting safe sex. A lawsuit was filed against the Los Angeles Unified School District by Astrianna Johnson, a 14-year-old middle school student who pinned packaged condoms on her clothes and wore them to school to promote their use in AIDS prevention. School officials barred Johnson from wearing the condoms, and so, with the support of the American Civil Liberties Union, the student charged that the school violated her right to freedom of expression. Hatter cited prior law which calls for a balance between the First Amendment rights of students to advocate controversial views and society's interest in teaching students the limits of socially acceptable behavior. "Educators, not children, should be given the right to choose which values to emphasize and the means by which those values will be instilled in their students," he wrote in his ruling. ACLU attorney Amos Dyson was disappointed by the decision. "There's a genuine First Amendment issue here," he said. "Now there's just one less person out there warning middle school students about the dangers of HIV." "Elizabeth Taylor to Miss "Flintstones" Premiere" Reuters (05/17/94) Recovery from hip replacement surgery will prevent superstar Elizabeth Taylor from attending next Monday's fund-raising premiere of "The Flintstones," which will benefit the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. All proceeds from the premiere at the Ziegfield Theater in New York and the following reception at Planet Hollywood go to Taylor's foundation, which has distributed more than $2.3 million to AIDS organizations around the world since its establishment in 1992. In a statement, the actress thanked "Flintstones" producer Steven Spielberg and his film company. "I regret that I will not be able to make the trip," Taylor said. "Having recently been bed-ridden myself and knowing how much it means to know others are pulling for you, I am more dedicated than ever in my fight against AIDS."